Changeable exhibitor.



G. A. SHIELDS.

CHANGEABLE' EXHIBITOR.

I APPLICATION FILED JULY 5.1917. 1,299,795. Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

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Guy A. ielda Patented Apr. 8,1919.

2 SHEET$SHEET 2. .31

G. A; SHIELDS.

CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5. um.

lvwemtoz Guy RShie/da Ghoul;

GUY A. SHIELDS, 0F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO GEORGESHIELDS, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

CHANGEABLE Exnnsrron.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Application filed July 5, 1917. Serial No. 178,725.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY A. SHIELDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and Stateof Washington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ChangeableExhibitors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in changeable exhibitorsespecially adapted for use on railroads or street cars for indicatingsucceeding stations or streets and avenues, and for general advertisingand display purposes in which the announcing Web or ribbon is passedover and wound upon compensating rollers, and operated by a step by stepmovement as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an indicatingdevice of this character which is'positive and 'acdurate in its action,comparatively simple in construction and operation, durable, and withalefficient in performing the functions for which it is intended.

The invention consists essentially in th utilization of a frictionroller for direct contact with the web or ribbon to operate the ribbon,and in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts forcompensating devices to provide for the increased and decreased sizes ofthe rollers as they operate, and in certain novel combinations of partsfor actuating the operating rollers, as will be described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to thebest mode so far devised for the practical application of the principlesof the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the exhibitor, partly broken away forconvenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, central sectional view on line 3-3 of Fi .1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, detail view of the pawl and ratchet device forimparting a step by step movement to the exhibitor.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the pawl in positionafter it has completed its movement, the dotted lines indicating theposition of the pawl when it is re versed.

6 is'a sectional detail view showing the bearings and actuating devicefor the rollers;

Fig. 7 is a detail of the parts used for reversing the action of theexhibitor.

Fig. 8 shows the same parts as 7 in different position after withdrawal.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view showing the spring pressed clamphead on the end of the operating shaft.

The changeable exhibitor is inclosed within a casing or box 1 made ofsuitable size and material and provided with a front window 2 throughwhich the station, street or avenue may be observed. An operating shaft3 is journaled in fixed bearings 4 in the casing and a roller 5 is fixedon the shaft and furnished with a friction coverii 6 adapted to contactat all times with the ace of the web or ribbon 7 which bears the namesof the railroad stations, streets or avenues, and is adapted to wind andunwind upon the two ribbon rollers 8 and 9 which are provided withshafts 10 and 11 passing therethrough. These shafts are journaled inbearing sleeves 12 and 13, and the sleeves are fixed in a movabl bearingplate 14 one of which is located at each end of the rollers, and theseplates are slotted at 15 to accommodate the operating shaft 3. Thebearing plates are adapted to be moved vertically to compensate forchanges in the size of the two rollers as the ribbon is wound andunwound thereon, and the bearing sleeves of the shafts are guided in therespective slots 16 and 17 in the sides of the casing l. The ribbon isguided over a pair of idler rollers 18 and 19 in the front of the casingsothat the ribbon may be made to pass just back of the window where itmay be read with facility. Thus while the two ribbon rollers are spacedand fixed in their relation to each other, their axes are constantlychanging their distances from the axis of the operating shaft which axisremains stationary, and the friction operating roller moves the ribbonby direct contact therewith upon the upper and lower rollers. The ribbonrollers are actually supported on th operating roller through the upperroller, and as the diameter of the roller increases the bearing platesare raised and as this diameter decreases the bearing plates arelowered, thus compensating for the movement of the ribbon and keepingthe ribbon at all times taut in front of the window.

The shaft 3 is operated or actuated with a step by step movement, aquarter turn, through the medium of the ratchet wheel 20 fixed on theshaft 3 and provided with four teeth 21. These teeth are engaged by "acurved pawl 22 pivoted in the forked end 23 of a stem or bar 2-1 of thesolenoid magnet 25 fixed by brackets 26 at the top front edge of thecasing 1. The solenoid bar is surrounded by a protractile spring 27interposed between one of the brackets and the forked end of the stem,and these two forces move the stem, the spring to turn the ratchet wheelthrough the stem and pawl, and the solenoid to retract the stem. Themovement of the pawl is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 which showrespectively the start and finish, and it will be noted that the pawl inFig. 5 is engaging two teeth and holding the ratchet wheel againstmovement. The normal position of the pawl is indicated in Fig. 5 andheld there by the spring. To move the wheel the circuit is made and thesolenoid withdraws the stem and pawl, the circuit is then broken and thespring forces the pawl to act as described. The pawl is slotted at 28 sothat it may be sivung over to dotted position when the indicator is tobe reversed without the necessity of removing the pivot screw 29.

\Vhen it is desired to reverse the motion of the ribbon the springpressed head 30, which has a. set screw 31 movable in the slot 32 in theoperating shaft 3 and held in posi-- sition by the spring 34 in thehollow or opening 33 of the head, is operated. A spring plate 35 slottedat 36 to fit over the head and the pivot pin 29 guides the movement ofthe stem and also swings the pawl over to reversed position when thespring head is withdrawn and turned to reverse the movement of theribbon.

YVhat I claim is The combination in a reversible, changeable exhibitorof an operating shaft and a ratchet wheel, a spring pressed stem and aslotted, reversible pawl carried by the stem and engaging a plurality ofteeth, and means for withdrawing the stem to co-act with the spring forimparting a step by step movement to the operating shaft.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

GUY A. SHIELDS.

